E3 2018: Spyro Reignited Trilogy First Impressions

Bizarrely, one of the most anticipated games to release this year is the Sypro Reignited Trilogy. Following the success of the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy (both commercially and critically), it was only a matter of time before our favourite purple dragon was resurrected for the modern gaming age. Nostalgia sells it seems and it’s not hard to see why – between battle royales, zombie games and the slew of sci-fi shooters, it seems gamers want the good old days back.

[These first impressions are based on playing both of the short demos that were available at E3 2018. What stage the build was at and how much will change isn’t known yet.]

The good news for those gamers is that Spyro Reignited Trilogy will likely scratch that itch. The build that was shown at E3 feels as good as it ever did. All of Spyro’s moves including fire breath, charging and gliding are back. The enemies are there too and some very (VERY) minor platforming is needed to navigate the overworld. It plays well and feels instantly familiar – even if you haven’t played a Spyro game for years.

The real joy in playing it comes from how good it is to look at. Everything (literally everything) looks phenomenal. From the enemies and the gems, to the dragons you rescue and Spyro himself, it all looks stunning. Crisp and sharp colours mean you really get to see the world in all its glory.

There are a few issues that will hopefully be ironed out. For example, the camera angle felt a little ‘over enthusiastic’ – moving around when I didn’t want it to and generally giving me a hard time (especially when charging). Given the time the team behind the game have left I’m sure the final version will feel much better.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 21 2018.

Dale is a gamer, writer, baker and all-round geek. While he hearts his Xbox One he's known to cheat on it occasionally with a host of other consoles - our little secret - and he's recently developed an unhealthy obsession with Overwatch.